Manifest Destiny Book Four: Journey
by thew40
Summary: [COMPLETE] HeMan and Skeletor, now in the TriSolar System, confront new allies and new enemies as their ongoing battle continues! Please R&R!
1. Touch Down

These characters don't belong to me. They do, though, belong to Mattel. I'm not making any money off of this and so on.

This fic takes place in the same continuity as "Preludes and Beginnings," "He-Man: Year One," "The Elfsong of Eternia," "The Crossroads of Destiny," "Prophecy & Change," "Just Another Day," "Liberty and Valor," "The Final Adventure," "A Winter's Heart," and "The Shroud of the Horde."

It serves as a basic sequel to "Liberty and Valor" and concludes the Destiny series that started with "The Crossroads of Destiny," and continued in "Prophecy & Change," "Just Another Day," and "Liberty and Valor."

* * *

Previously:

King Hiss released the Snake Goddess Vipera, daughter of Serpos. Exchanging places with Teela and nearly killing Prince Adam's fiancée Kathryn, Vipera released an army of Snake-Men. Eternos, Snake Mountain, and the Great Towers were all taken by the Snake-Men.

After breaking up with Kathryn because she decided she couldn't handle He-Man/Adam's lifestyle, He-Man teamed up with Skeletor. Along with Orko, She-Ra, Battle-Cat and a few others, managed to overcome Vipera and the Snake-Men . . . only to have Skeletor use the Magic Stealer to take a portion of Castle Grayskull's power and bring his Evil Warriors to him!

However, He-Man was able to stop Skeletor, but only after they were teleported aboard a starship that sought He-Man's help. Skeletor escaped the starship, leaving He-Man with Hydron and Flipshot, emissaries from the planet of Primus. They told He-Man of their worlds plight and how they needed his help to overcome the armies of the Mutant warlord, Flogg. Skeletor too learned of this information and left Eternia to join Flogg to eventually gain his trust . . . then take his army back to Eternia. With a portion of the power of Grayskull with him, Skeletor left Eternia. He-Man was forced to follow, saying good bye to his friends and family in the process.

* * *

Chapter One – "Touch down"

As the Starship Eternia arrived at the outer fringes of the Tri-Solar System, He-Man felt a pang of uncertainty. While the entire trip, he had been able to fight this feeling, it struck him hard as he and his companions Hydron and Flipshot neared their destination.

"We're here," Flipshot stated.

"Well, not quite yet," Hydron corrected, fingers running across the navigational computer. "Almost, but not quite."

"Understood," He-Man responded. His mind was wrought with doubt and frustration. The days before his leaving had been stressful and emotional, and with his quick departure, a lot seemed . . . unresolved. In some ways, He-Man felt that leaving Eternia would mean leaving behind all of the pain and emotion that had been the source of a lot of activity those last days. Unfortunately, He-Man was wrong about all that.

"We've got an approaching vessel," Flipshot reported. "It's one of ours. An Astrosub."

A small attack vessel appeared in the large window. It swept across the front of the Starship Eternia, the stopped off at its side.

"Flipshot! Hydron, is that you?" came a thick, male voice over the com-line.

"Yes it is, Kayo. What's with the escort?"

"We've got trouble, Commander. The Mutants have launched a full-scale attack. The Mothership and two heavy battle cruisers are positioned at the Oasis Hole," Kayo replied. "37 Terror Pods are currently engaged in battle with two units of Astrosubs. Plus, ground forces. At least two hundred soldiers are reportedly on the ground."

He-Man ran his fingers along the Sword of Power. "What can I do?"

"We're going to enter the battle," Hydron replied.

"I'm no good to you in here," He-Man responded. "Get me on the ground, though, and I can help there."

"All right. Hang on," Hydron said. "Kayo, we've got a plan. We have the one we were telling you about. Can you get him to the surface, near the landing point of the ground forces?"

"Affirmative."

"We'll teleport him right over, then."

Moments later, He-Man materialized in the cockpit of the Astrosub. It was two seats, the back seat empty with the controls panels him off-line. In the seat in front of him was Kayo, a well-toned man with a helmet with the face that looked like a cage.

"Howdy," Kayo greeted.

"Hi."

"Name's Kayo. Nice to meet you."

"He-Man, and the same."

"We're about to enter into battle, so I'd hold onto your seat. I'll get you onto Primus as fast as I can."

The Astrosub suddenly shot forward. He-Man watched as a nearby dead planet went flying by. As soon as they passed it, He-Man saw the three stars of the Tri-Solar Systems. They grew more and more into view as the Astrosub came ever closer and closer to Primus.

At that moment, the Starship Eternia overtook the Astrosub. He-Man blue eyes locked onto a green and wheat colored orb that was getting larger by the second. _Primus_, he realized. _My new home._

Within twenty minutes, He-Man could feel the Astrosub slow down. Primus filled the entire cockpits view. They arched around it and that's when He-Man saw it.

A ship, massive and ugly, sat in high orbit. It looked as though it was constructed out of dirt and mud with huge spikes rising out of various sections. Along with it were three large ships, each one at least a quarter of the size of the ugly one.

"That big ones the Mothership. Those other three are the battle cruisers."

"I see."

Sitting directly below the four ships was a visible hole in the atmosphere of Primus. It was outline with what could be best described as a clear-grayish cliff in the air. As they got even closer, He-Man could see smaller ships, swarming about above the hole.

"Weapons are on-line and locked," Kayo stated. "Just hang on."

There was a sudden flash of flight and the Astrosub was rocked. Two almond-shaped ships came silently screaming towards the Astrosub and the Eternia, weapons blazing. Twin laser beams from the Astrosub fired out, in concert with four from the Starship Eternia.

They struck the two Terror Pods, blowing them to bits.

"The pilots?" asked He-Man.

"Genetic goo wrapped in a humanoid shell, with nothing but a computer and a transmitter as a nervous system."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning they're basically a communicator and a computer tossed into an armor full of snot. They have all that where you come from?"

"Um, yeah."

"Good. Yeah, they're not alive."

"Sounds good to me."

The Astrosub and the Starship Eternia blasted into battle, weapons blazing. Both ships, smaller and large, spun in and moved in towards one of the battle cruisers. The Starship Eternia opened fire, lasers striking the hull, resulting in massive explosions that ran along the top of the battle cruiser. This kept the battle cruiser's weapons trained off of the Astrosub.

The Starship Eternia then moved in front of the Astrosub as they moved even further into the massive space battle. From its sides pulsed a pair of massive laser blasters. They struck down four in-coming Terror Pods.

Three missiles suddenly launched out from the second battle cruiser, this one sitting closets to the hole. One struck the Eternia, resulting in a small explosion silently fuming from the back.

"You guys all right?" asked Kayo, moving below them.

"We're fine, watch yourselves!" shouted Flipshot over the comm-line.

Two missiles spun behind, closing in on their target. Kayo pressed a few keys. He-Man felt weapons shift and saw two explosions roar out from behind them.

"GOTCHA!" he yelled out. "Uh oh . . ."

The battle cruiser moved up, laser beam flying out, striking at both the Astrosub and the Starship Eternia.

"Full axis spin!" shouted Hydron to Kayo. "Ventral weapons fire!"

The Astrosub spun in unison with the Eternia, their bottom shields taking the brunt of the laser assault. The two ships then moved in opposite directions, the Starship Eternia looping around towards the battle cruiser. The Astrosub remained upside down and He-Man looked up (or down) at the hole at which they were right above. Below, above the green surface, the battle raged between Astrosubs and Terror Pods.

_People are dying_, he realized sadly.

The Astrosub rocked violently. Kayo shouted and frantically pressed a few buttons. The ship spun again, now right side up. The ship shook with another impact.

A pair of Astrosubs suddenly appeared from below, firing harshly at the battle cruiser.

"Need a hand, Kayo?" came a cheerful male voice.

"Vizor! Is that Nocturna with him?"

"Yes it is."

"Co-ordinate with us, attack plan epsilon."

The trio of Astrosubs all flew down, spun, then flew back up, spinning, lasers firing away. They swung and spun as they did this. This ensured that the battle cruiser was unable to maintain a weapons lock. It also meant that the Astrosubs were unable to as well, but it didn't matter nearly as much since the battle cruiser was by far, much larger.

Explosions grew and grew along the bottom of the battle cruiser until they began to spread out in a jagged line across it. They Astrosubs closed in, their surfaces nearby touching that of the battle cruisers. Lasers pounded against hull. Explosions followed them.

Finally, the trio pulled away. As they did, so too did the Starship Eternia. Judging from the top of the battle cruiser, they played a similar assault. It was ablaze with explosions that started cascade. The battle cruiser was being sheered apart by these monumental explosions.

The four vessels were then joined, and went straight down into the hole.

"All right, He-Man," Kayo started, "I'm going to do my best to get you close the landing point. These three are, unfortunately, needed up here."

"Not an issue," He-Man responded. "Just get me down there and we'll be fine."

"Gotcha, partner."

They shot down past Terror Pods and Astrosubs, their three escorts clearing the path for the new hero of Primus and his new ally.

The Astrosub tore through the atmosphere, heat briefly overtaking it. As they did, the two other Astrosubs and the Starship Eternia pulled back.

Finally, they arrived. He-Man could see the invading army standing in long lines not far away. The Astrosub set down about five miles away from the army, which was about ten telks in Primian.

"Best I could do," Kayo said.

"Not a problem," He-Man replied, feet landing firmly on the soil of Primus. The gravity was only slightly lighter than that of Eternia. "You said they're not really alive, right? Just gunk and a computer tossed into armor?"

"Yeah."

He-Man pulled out his Sword of Power and his shield. "Good."

He ran, feet thundering on the grassy surface. Kayo was left in the dust as He-Man quickly became a dot in his vision.

* * *

Crouching low in the bushes, a twelve-year old boy stared in wide-eyed wonder and terror. He smoothed his dark hair back as he watched the army of Mutants prepare to march onward, into the Oasis. Caz had come out from his farm to see the attack, the call to action far too loud for this young man.

A hand suddenly grabbed his shoulders and he nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Caz!" came the hushed shout of his older sister, a blonde haired woman in a pink skirt.

"Um, Drissi, hi."

"What are you doing out here?"

"I wanted to see the battle."

"You . . . Caz, we need to go! They'll catch us any -- !"

Before Drissi could finish, however, there was rush of wind and a man came flying by.

"Who was that?"

"I have no idea . . ." Drissi replied, wonder in her voice.

He-Man leapt into the air, arching high above the Mutant soldiers. They didn't see him coming. Sword of Power drawn, he landed in the dead center of their lines, smashing three soldiers into the ground, which breached their light violet armor. Goo spilled onto the ground.

He-Man was in action immediately.

"Three down," he said as he spun, deflecting lasers blasts with his Power Sword and shield, "one hundred ninety-seven to go."

He attacked with fury and strength. His sword strokes were broad and wide, slicing through armor around him, tearing apart the soldiers. They crumbled to the ground in heaps of armor and goo, wires sparking just a little. He-Man shoved his Sword of Power through the head of one, then sliced off the arm of another, then kicked a third and then a fourth, then punched right through one after he sent his sword into two at once.

Laser guns were sliced in half, flesh collided with armor, boots with metal, and shields with heads. He-Man fought hard and with a ferocity he had never known. It was as if all the frustration and anger and guilt that had been building up since the moment the Snake-Men crashed his engagement party was finally coming out in full fury.

He-Man leapt up as he was beginning to be surrounded. He landed briefly on a rock that was jutting from the surface. He then jumped off of that, landed on the ground. He feet stomped hard, toppling some of the soldiers. He-Man held his shield out and ran forward, slamming fifteen of the soldiers into the rock. They were destroyed.

He then spun around, kicking the heads off three of them. The Sword of Power slipped into the belly of the soldiers, then tore out and sliced a second one in half. He-Man jumped up again, once more on the verge of being surrounded. He landed, body in action again, taking down soldier after soldier in gooey masses.

Lasers burned his skin, but he barely noticed. A blind fury of rage and frustration began to overtake him. He took down soldiers by the fives, tearing through them as he rushed forward. He moved far too fast for them to accurately aim and at time, the soldiers shot their fellow non-living companions.

His fist pounded against one, tearing its head right off.

_Kathryn._

His feet collided right a soldier, it armored chest shattered, goo leaky out.

_The unborn baby._

His Sword of Power ripped through the belly of a third soldier.

_The break-up._

He-Man jumped up, landing on another rock that stood out from the surface. He watched as the soldiers once organized lines were in chaos. They were trying to re-group. He jumped in where he felt he could cause the most trouble.

He landed and smashed two right into the ground.

_Teela._

His shield rammed two of them right into each other, causing them to collapse in a mess.

_Vipera._

His hands tore into one, ripping it clean in two.

_Holding her, having to say good bye twice._

He-Man jumped again, but shorter. His body spread eagle, he crashed onto five of the Mutant soldiers. Laser beams fired at him, but he blocked them, sending them randomly into the soldiers. He ducked down, then jumped up.

Both feet slammed onto the chest of a soldier.

_Skeletor._

The Sword of Power tearing apart four soldiers in a row.

_The Magic Stealer and the power of Grayskull._

His boots knocking of the knee of a soldier, the beheading it, leaving a gooey mess.

_Forced to chase him across time/space on a mission that he didn't want._

But that was always the case, wasn't it? Skeletor was He-Man's reason for being, the reason he was given the Sword of Power. Ultimately, though, it was right of He-Man to come here? Watching as those Astrosubs exploded, people within dying.

He-Man jumped up once more, Sword of Power still drawn. Soldiers were amassing around him, weapons blazing. He-Man took some of them, deflected others. Ultimately, he didn't care. As his body was in motion, carrying out these actions, he could feel the frustration finding its outlet.

He-Man warred on and on, soldiers begin torn down. At one point a pair of Terror Claws entered into the fray. These were large machines that sat on two legs with a big claw in the front. He-Man destroyed both with a four sweeps of his Power Sword. They went down, taking nearly two dozens Mutant soldiers with them.

It was nearing the end. A few Mutants soldiers left. As he ripped through them, images blazed through his minds eyes. The Sorceress . . . Teela . . . Man-At-Arms . . . Hordak . . . She-Ra . . . Adora . . . Orko . . . Randor . . . Marlena . . . Hydron . . . Flipshot . . . Kayo . . . King Hiss . . . Kathryn . . . Cringer . . . Battle-Cat . . . Skeletor.

It always came back down to Skeletor.

He-Man sent his Sword of Power through a Mutant soldier. He heard the crunch of one final soldier behind him. He spun around, roaring with rage and fury and frustration. He threw the Sword of Power and it didn't miss its mark. It slammed right through the chest of the soldier, destroying it immediately.

Heart pounding, lungs heaving, muscles aching, and skin burned and cut a little, He-Man ripped his sword out of the armor of the soldier and turned to a pair of figures that stood at the edge of the field.

Staghorn and Quakke turned on their heels and ran towards their ship.

"By the Ancients . . ." he whispered, knees feeling weak.

"Wow!" yelled Caz, running towards He-Man. "You just saved the world!"

* * *

The Mothership pulled away from Primus as soon as Staghorn and Quakke arrived. Flogg stood on the bridge, quietly furious. The invasion was cancelled . . . today.

Between the Starship Eternia aiding in the partial destruction of one of the battle cruisers and the mysterious man who single-handedly took down the Mutant soldiers on the surface. The one called Skeletor had warned him of this man. Skeletor, Flogg regretted, they immediately ignored and had thrown into the brig.

"Bring Skeletor up here," Flogg commanded. "It's time the two of us had a chat."


	2. Meet and Greet

Chapter Two – "Meet and Greet"

* * *

"I've never seen anything like it," Kayo uttered. "An entire army . . . wiped out by one man."

He-Man grinned a little. It felt good; to vent and release his frustrations like that – and to know that they weren't alive as he took them down. It felt good, yes, but also a little frightening. He had never fought in such a violent manner before.

"It was pretty wicked!" shouted Caz.

"Caz! Get back here!" scolded Drissi. "We've got to go. There's no need to bother these fine people."

He-Man and Kayo were standing at the edge of the field of broken soldiers. Flailing wires, puddles of goo, and shattered armor were all that was left of what was designed to be the first wave of Mutants soldiers. Caz was standing right with them, gushing over the first – and most amazing – battle he had witnessed.

"I'm sorry," Drissi attempted. "My brother gets . . . a little excited . . ."

"WHOA!" yelled out Caz then, looking up.

The Starship Eternia and two Astrosubs dropped out of the sky. They soared over the battlefield and landed not far away.

"This is amazing!" Caz yelled out.

"All right, Caz! That's enough. Let's go."

He-Man smiled at Caz. "You should listen to your sister, Caz. I think it may be a good time to head back home."

"Awww."

He-Man felt a pang of guilt. A kid his age should not envy war and battle like that. "I . . . I hated every minute of it," he said and meant it – to an extent.

"Huh?" questioned Caz, dumbfounded.

Kayo perked an eyebrow. Even Drissi was stunned.

"That's right. War and violence . . . I . . ." He then remembered something he had said years ago. "I hate fighting. And every time I fight, I hope it is the last time."

"Then why do you fight?"

"Because sometimes war is the only way to find peace. Because good and evil can't help but come into conflict. Hopefully, sometime, your world can find peace."

"Oh . . ." Caz replied, a little confused.

"Wow," Drissi remarked. "Pretty deep."

"I'll say," Kayo added. "Well, I'm just glad that you're fighting on our side."

At that moment, Flipshot and Hydron arrived with two new companions for He-Man to meet.

Drissi shook Caz's shoulder. "All right, Caz. Time to go. And I mean it."

"I'll see you again, I'm sure of it," He-Man said to the two of them.

"I hope so," Drissi answered.

"Me too!"

The two of them walked away from the battle and He-Man seemed to notice that she scolding him a bit. He sighed and turned to the four Primians now joining Kayo and himself.

"I can't believe this," Flipshot observed, eyes surveying the massive area of Mutant destruction.

"It's . . . looks like we picked the right guy to lead us," Hydron added.

"Thank you," He-Man replied, unsure of what else to say.

"This is Nocturna and Vizar," introduced He-Man to the pair that stood with them.

"Pleasure to meet you," greeted Nocturna, a man with long black hair, wearing blue and purple camouflage-like jumpsuit. He-Man could tell by both his demeanor and his handshake that he meant business.

"Same here," Vizar added. He was wearing a golden armor and helmet with, of course, a visor. This one was harder to judge than Nocturna.

"Well, now what?" asked He-Man.

"The Mutant fleet is headed back to Denebria. I think it's time you were introduced to - "

"Me."

He-Man looked over at the sound of the voice. It came from a lean, tall man in blue and white robes. While the top of his head was bald, along the sides were long, wispy gray-white hairs. He wore on his wrinkled, old face a friendly smile. Immediately, He-Man could feel a sense of security and comfort coming from this man.

"You must be Master Sebrian."

"That I am. He-Man, I presume."

They shook hands. "That's right."

"Welcome to Primus then," Sebrian stated. "I just wish it had not come to this."

"The same."

"Walk with me, He-Man. You'll need to meet with the Inner Council and I'm certain that the others have post-battle reports to file."

He-Man and Sebrian walked away from the other five warriors, leaving them to their work. He-Man watched as a few more Primians – all of whom looked like major officials that worked for the government, judging by their uniforms – joined Hydron, Flipshot, Kayo, Nocturna, and Vizar.

"I heard what you said to Caz. About fighting. It reinforced why we asked you to come here."

"I meant it. Every word."

"Our people are not violent. We always wished to outgrow that. But it seems that fighting will always be a part of Primus."

"You serve the way of the just. I came here because I hoped to end the fighting."

Sebrian smiled. "Good! You're probably tired."

"A little, yes."

"It's been a jarring trip, I'm sure."

"To . . ." He paused, unsure if to continue. "To be completely honest, Master Sebrian, the past week or two has been pretty jarring."

They were walking down a large hill towards a dirt road. When they reached the road, they followed it. The three suns of the Tri-Solar System hung in what He-Man could figure out was the afternoon sky. The air smelled different now that he had actually had time to notice. It felt less natural than that on Eternia.

_It's the small, subtle things,_ He-Man thought to himself.

"Your reputation proceeds you, you know? The rumors about the Horde's collapse . . ."

"It's collapsed now?"

"From what we hear, yes. The Horde Empire is vast, the news regarding it reaching all the way out here. According to what I've heard, it was Eternia and Etheria that helped form the great schisms that are now shattering that once vile empire."

He-Man shrugged. "The Horde has haunted both Eternia and Etheria for too long. I suspect that it will only be a matter of time before the core regime is replaced by the revolutionary forces of Prince Zed."

Sebrian nodded. "Interesting."

"Tell me about your war, Master Sebrian. I was just kinda dropped into the middle of a battle."

"Of course, of course. Unfortunately, this will not be the final battle. They will strike again and soon, I'm sure."

"What about a counter attack? Going on the offensive?"

"I would rather not. By remaining on the defensive, we are showing the Mutants that they are the aggressors and unless attacked, we are quite peaceful."

"An excellent strategy. I just hope it works."

"With you here, He-Man, I can already tell that our defenses will hold out."

"I'll do what I can while I can. This is a . . . beautiful world." And indeed it was. The flowers and trees were very different than any other worlds He-Man had traveled to, though they were just as beautiful as those he had seen before.

The pair arrived at a sort of curved elevator in the middle of the ground. "This leads underground, into the vast subterranean city and the home of the Inner Council. They are very interested in meeting you."

"And I am them."

"After that, you'll be introduced to Galactic Guardians."

"The who?"

"Your team."

* * *

"He calls himself He-Man, and for the past five and a half Eternian years, he's been the one thing standing in my way."

Skeletor allowed himself to be captured. He wanted to sit down in the brig on the Mothership. Despite his superiority over Flogg, he knew that to get on his good side meant to present himself both weaker to Flogg, but stronger than Flogg's mercenaries. If it meant gaining Flogg's trust so that he could someday (soon, hopefully) steal the Mothership and the armada with little to no resistance (or maybe even some assistance), Skeletor would do whatever it took.

"His strength and fighting skills are virtually unmatchable. What his origins are, I still don't know. But we are equals. He with his strength, and I with my magic."

"And yet here you sit, in my brig," Flogg grunted, separated from Skeletor an invisible force field. "What does that say of me?"

"Perhaps you are superior to He-Man. Perhaps not. Either way, the only way you will find out is to confront him."

"You two are enemies?'

"Oh yes."

"And he chased you here?"

"The people of Primus asked him for help. My leaving helped him make his decision."

"And why did you leave, Skeletor? Why come here?"

Skeletor paced a bit. "I knew He-Man would follow me. I knew that if I took him out of his environment, he would be off-balance. I hoped, also, that I could aid anyone that would be a potential enemy of He-Man. Hence, here I am, at your mercy."

"You want an alliance, then?"

"Yes."

"I help you eliminate He-Man, you help me conquer Primus."

"Yes."

Flogg looked hard at Skeletor, considering it all in his Mutant mind. Finally, after a long minute, he nodded and then lowered the force field.

"We have an alliance."

* * *

Below the surface of Primus, He-Man and Master Sebrian walked along busy corridors, on their way to see the Inner Council. The underground tunnels had been established when the atmosphere was first decimated and the entire complex was the seat of government on Primus ever since then.

As the pair approached the doors to the Inner Council's chamber, a woman came running over. She was wearing a blue dress that swirled around her as she walked. Her black hair was pulled back in a ponytail.

"Master Sebrian," she addressed. The woman turned to He-Man then. "And you must be He-Man."

"I am," He-Man replied, shaking her hand. She smiled.

"My name is Mara."

"Mara is my liaison with the Inner Council, as well as my apprentice of sorts," Sebrian explained to He-Man.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. We heard you destroyed that entire invading army. Quite astonishing, I have to say," she said. "The scientists who constructed the starship that brought you here wanted to meet you."

At that moment, four men came walking over, all of varying shapes and sizes. He-Man could see the looks of excitement on their faces.

"Such an honor, sir, to be have been the one to bring you here! My name is Alcon!" yelped the tallest one, wearing red and pink clothes.

"Ah, don't listen to him. It was a group effort. Mostly me, but these guys helped bring me my tools. I'm Gepple," followed up the shortest, this one with blonde hair and glasses.

"I was the one that developed the theories," said the larger, bald man. "I'm Meloc. It was all my idea."

"N-no, sir, don't l-l-listen to them," stated the last, this one with a big nose, glasses and a small ponytail. "M-My na-name is Krex."

"It's an honor to meet you all. I'm sure you each contributed to my arrival here," He-Man responded. "Hopefully, I can be of some help and - "

"None of these bozos contributed anything, trust me," Gepple answered. "And I mean that."

"Oh, take that back!" Alcon shot.

"He's r-r-right! I did it!" Krex totted.

"Gentlemen, please," Sebrian interrupted. "We'll settle this matter later. Right now, He-Man must see the Inner Council."

The doors before them opened. He-Man took in a deep breath, feeling quite nervous all of a sudden. He stepped forward.

"Good luck," Mara wished him.

"Thanks," He-Man replied, unsure just what that meant.

As soon as He-Man entered, the doors behind him shut. He walked forward, stepping completely into the huge, round chamber. In the center of the room was a massive crystal, pointing upwards towards the surface. All around, suspended from the high ceiling, were large crystals, each one holding a man or a woman. About thirty of these circled the chamber and He-Man was immediately reminded of his father's descriptions of the Council of Elders back on Eternia.

"Greetings, He-Man of Eternia," came a voice in unison. As the words were said, multiple crystals were glow.

He-Man bowed down, onto one knee. "I come in peace," he said, unsure of what else to say to these people.

"We accept your peace offering," the voice of the Inner Council said to him in the same manner as before. "Rise, now, He-Man of Eternia."

He-Man stood back up and was stunned to see who was standing before the large crystal in the middle of the room.

"Zodak . . ." he whispered. "What are you doing here?"

Zodak stepped forward. "I came as the request of the Galactic Council, who were petitioned by this Inner Council to look into this war. It was I that suggested you come to Primus."

"Why?" He-Man asked, almost accusingly.

"You are a peacekeeper, a champion for good. Primus may have had that spirit, but they lacked the champion. With things settling down on Eternia and Etheria, I assumed you may have been of some good here on Primus."

"We were in dire need of your help, He-Man," the Inner Council stated. "The war was growing more and more costly."

"I can understand that," He-Man replied. He knew already the cost of war.

"We understand that you feel out of sorts coming here and that cutting your ties with Eternia felt wrong, but this war must stop and only you can help us," the Inner Council told him.

"People are dying, He-Man. You have the power and the responsibility to save them," Zodak said. "Never question that."

He-Man looked to his Sword of Power. "Trust me, Zodak, if there was one I've never questioned, it's that."

"Good, then," Zodak said. "I must be off now. Farewell, He-Man, and good luck."

With a flash of brilliant blue light, Zodak was gone.

"You have made the right decision, He-Man of Eternia," the Inner Council assured him.

"I . . ." He paused. Had he? It was the question he was struggling with since he left. Had he really made the right call? If he hadn't, that army surely would not have been stopped. And he had indeed left Eternia in the right hands, with She-Ra there. And then there was Skeletor. There was always Skeletor.

_I have to stop him_, He-Man thought to himself. _I have to stop him before he makes this war any worse than it is._

"I did," He-Man said at last. He then went down on one knee and held the Sword of Power out flat on his palms. "By my honor, I pledge myself to finding peace for the Tri-Solar System. I hope only that it comes swiftly."


	3. Training Day

Chapter Three: "Training Day"

* * *

Caz and Drissi led He-Man across the wide-open field. To Drissi, it was yet another chance to see the hero of Primus, the mighty He-Man. To Caz, however, their little trip was a mission of vast importance.

"How much further?" He-Man asked out of curiosity.

"Not much," Dissi replied. "Just over this next hill, actually."

"Over here over here!" shouted Caz from the top of the hill in front of them.

He-Man smiled, and really laughed for the first time since leaving Eternia. When he reached the top of the hill, he looked down upon the huge forest at the foot of the hill.

"What do you think?" asked Caz as the three of them entered the forest.

"Seems thick enough. How far does it go?"

"Nineteen telks," Caz replied.

"What is that in Eternian, He-Man?" asked Drissi.

"About fifteen miles, give or take. Okay, this will do." He pressed a button on his wrist. "Starship Eternia, this is He-Man. Do you read me?"

"Loud and clear, He-Man."

"Teleport on down."

There was a sparkle of light and energy as the Galactic Guardians materialized in front of He-Man. Though he had met them all yesterday, he took the opportunity to size them up once more. There were similarities between this team and the Heroic Warriors he had known and worked with up until just a few days ago.

_Days,_ he realized. _I can't believe it's been that short of time._

Besides Hydron, Flipshot, Vizar, Kayo, and Nocturna, there was now the four-armed Sagitar; the wind-warrior Spinwit; the robotic Artilla; and Tuskador, the man with the elephant-like armor.

"Good morning," He-Man greeted.

A jumbled 'good morning' from the group was the reply.

"I've met all of you, however, besides your name and your powers, I know virtually nothing about most of you. Most of all, I don't know quite how to fight with you. I've had experienced with your powers, though. I've either fought against or alongside beings like yourselves. But you've never fought with me. So, I've decided on this little test."

He-Man waved his hand to the forest. "I am going to enter into this forest. Five minutes later, you all will follow. You have one goal: disable me before I disable you. Simple enough? Good. Many thanks goes to Drissi and Caz for helping me find this forest here."

Caz beamed proudly, grinning like an idiot. Drissi hid her face in embarrassment.

Everyone clear?"

"Yes sir!"

He-Man smiled, though he hated being called 'sir' as He-Man.

"Five minutes, then, starting now."

With that, He-Man leapt into the air and landed somewhere in the forest with a rattle of branches.

"What are minutes?" asked Spinwit.

"Eternian way of telling time," Caz answered, somewhat nervously. He showed them a small clock that was counting down. "He told me to tell you when the clock reaches zero."

It soon did and the Galactic Guardians were off, each heading in their own separate directions.

* * *

Vizar headed southeast. As soon as he put on his visor, his body became shrouded in a field of light-bending particles that only his visor was capable of seeing through. He walked as quickly as he could, guessing at He-Man's location.

He had been working with the visor for some time now, ever since the war began. His career had started as a special ops and moved to intelligence. He had even been to Denebria twice. When a call went out for a team of specialist, he was the first to sign-up.

Vizar stopped completely. He saw He-Man crouching low in the bushes, looking the other way. Vizar snickered and stepped forward.

As soon as he was close to He-Man, however, the hero of Eternia reached out and grabbed hold Vizar's leg. Before Vizar even had time to wonder how it was He-Man had known he was there, he was on the ground. He-Man smacked Vizar in the belly, then reached up, and fondled his face until he found the visor, then lifted it up.

"Gotcha," He-Man stated with a grin.

"You're good."

"It was the snickering that gave you away. It seems, despite being good at not being seen, you're not good at not being quiet."

He-Man then heard a trig snap. He stood up, then leapt up into a tree. Vizar laid there, stunned at how quickly he had been taken down. The man was impressive.

A moment later, Kayo appeared. Once a low-level grunt, Kayo had made it into the ranks of the Primus army as being a world class fighter and an ace pilot.

"Vizar, you okay?"

"Yeah, fine. Just my ego."

At that moment, He-Man came swinging down, feet colliding with Kayo's chest. Kayo went flying back, smacking against a tree. He-Man landed on his feet, only to be punched by Kayo. He-Man smiled and punched back. Kayo crumbled back, stunned at He-Man's strength.

"Whoa, quite the hook."

"Thanks. You two are out, by the way. Head back to the starting point."

Kayo helped Vizar up and the pair walked back. He-Man started running in the opposite direction, heading deeper into the forest. On the hunt.

* * *

Spinwit had come across his wind-generating equipment when the war began. Despite his intense hope to join the military, he just didn't have what it took. However, the scientists (Alcon, Gepple, Meloc and Krex) had helped him with that. Spinwit had been a meteorologist. With that knowledge, the scientists built him a suit that could control and create wind.

He had been burning up inside with desire to let it loose in real battle.

"Hey," He-Man greeted, appearing from the bushes in front of Spinwit.

"Hey yourself," Spinwit replied. His arms went to work, activating the controls. The scoop-shaped gloves went to work, creating a whirlwind. It struck He-Man, attempting to push him off balance. But He-Man was ready for this.

He spun the Sword of Power against the whirlwind, dispersing it long enough for him to jump up and kick Spinwit to the ground.

"Better luck next time. You're out."

* * *

Artilla walked along, scanning for life forms. Like many of his compatriots, this artificial intelligence came about as a result of the war. It was originally a prototype for a series of war robots, but when it was discovered that Artilla was capable of emotions, the project was shut down. Artilla was therefore, one of a kind.

"Life form detected!" Artilla shouted, weapons appearing. "I have you now, He-Man."

Low-level lasers blasted at He-Man's blurring body as he ran by. He-Man far into the forest, knowing that Artilla was right behind him. Exactly as planned. He-Man stopped suddenly at the figure before him.

Sagitar, a red-clad man nearly 10 feet tall with four huge arms, the lowers set long and thicker. He was capable of walking on the second set and his legs or standing upright. He came from a nearby solar system, asked to join as He-Man had been.

"That didn't take long."

Sagitar reached forward to grab He-Man, but He-Man was faster. He grabbed hold of both of Sagitar's left arms, swung him around, and slammed him right into the on-coming Artilla.

"You guys okay?"

"Affirmative," Artilla replied.

"Just fine," Sagitar grumped.

"Good. Head on back."

"THERE HE IS!" shouted Tuskador, rushing forward, twin tusks rising up from both sides of a long, elephant-like nose.

He-Man grabbed both tusks, pulling Tuskador forward, and head-slammed his armor. The helmet reverberated.

"Ow!" Tuskador shouted. He was from the Tri-Solar System, a grandchild of the small Mites from the last planet in the system. The armor added protection.

"Done. Next?"

Nocturna leapt from the trees and landed directly in front of He-Man.

"Now it's my turn," he snarked, fists raised.

"Then let's do it."

Nocturna landed a punch, but the other two didn't meet. He-Man took two shots and Nocturna was flat on his ass. Nocturna leapt back up to kick He-Man, but He-Man grabbed his leg and flipped him backwards. He-Man then swept quickly in with a kick to the face. Nocturna was down.

"Back to the starting point," He-Man ordered.

Nocturna angrily walked away.

Hydron and Flipshot then showed up. He-Man saw this coming, as it was probably Tuskador's stupid shouting that had brought them here. Hydron fired a grappling hook at He-Man. He-Man dodged it and it snagged Flipshot.

"Damn it," Hydron cursed. A second later and the Sword of Power was at his neck. "That's all of us."

He-Man grinned. "Yep."

A few minutes later, the Galactic Guardians regrouped at the edge of the forest. Taking a deep breath, He-Man looked them all over.

"So . . . what did you guys do wrong here?"

No one really answered. Nodding a little, He-Man stepped up. "You came in after me by yourselves, depending on only your own skills. You had no plan, no strategy, no desire to find my weaknesses. You had no teamwork. No surprises. No ploys or traps. You want to beat the Mutants? You'll have to do more than just go after them, using your powers. You'll have to use your heads."

He-Man then turned to Caz. "Five minutes again, please, Caz."

"Yes sir!" replied Caz loudly.

He-Man then turned around and ran back into the forest.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, He-Man leapt from his hiding spot and landed right onto Kayo.

"Down and out, pal."

"Maybe."

At that moment, something invisible collided with He-Man. Vizar. He-Man went flying back, unable to see his opponent. However, four arms grabbed hold of him. Sagitar.

He-Man shrugged the four arms off and shoved his back against Sagitar. As he did, intense laser fire shot out all around him. Artilla. He-Man dodged the beams, leaping over and under them, each one narrowly missing his flesh.

He-Man leapt towards Artilla, but was intercepted by Nocturna. The two of them landed, but He-Man got off a kick at Nocturna. He then turned around and faced Spinwit. Spinwit once more used his wind powers. He-Man moved out of the way just in time for Nocturna to get spun into the air.

Tuskador came rushing over. He-Man grabbed him by the truck and shoved him into Spinwit. He then flipped backwards, just in time for Flipshot and Hydron to head towards him. He flipped up again and slammed their heads together.

He-Man landed, those still 'in' heading towards him. They were far better organized this time; now demonstrating teamwork and cooperation, though it was obvious they still had a long way to go. He turned around, then, deciding to have the 'survivors' hunt him down again.  
As soon as he turned, He-Man found himself facing the business end of a laser pistol.

"Bang, bang, He-Man," came the voice of Mara, the woman he had met the day before. "You're out."

"What's this?" asked He-Man, stunned.

"Strategy. The element of surprise," Hydron stated, smiling.

He-Man smiled back. "Good idea." The others gathered around him, then. "A good job, gentlemen and lady. Let's just hope you'll be good enough when we face down the real thing."


	4. First Outing

Chapter Four: "First Outing"

* * *

Over forty-eight later, Skeletor had Flogg convinced of his greatness. However, Skeletor still bowed to Flogg, claiming the Mutant leader as his superior.

"You can use your power to get us through the shield, then?"

"Not the Mothership, no," Skeletor answered. "But a strike team, yes."

It was true. Skeletor was capable of many great things, and with the small capsule containing the portion of Grayskull's power, his options were quite wide open. He leaned forward, smiling best he could at Flogg.

"What do you think, Flogg?"

The purple-faced Mutant looked away and stared at the stars in the massive window on the bridge. "I assemble my best troops. Take a team down to Primus. Do what damage I can, and get back up here."

Skeletor studied the warlord in front of him. "Sounds reasonable," he replied, not really believing it to be a strong plan.

"Of course it does," Flogg returned. "I came up with it!"

Skeletor laughed a little. "Yes."

"How close do you need to be to Primus to teleport us down?"

"Half-way point between Nordor and Primus."

Flogg nodded and turned to Optikk. "Take the Mothership to the half-way point between Primus and Nordor. Maximum velocity!"

* * *

He-Man was awoken by a stern knock on his door. He was staying with Sebrian until he would be able to find a new place. As he pulled himself out of bed, he wondered just how much longer he could go without during back into Prince Adam.

The door came open and Mara stood there, her long black hair framing her face. It was unexpected sight and He-Man noticed now, for the first time since their meeting that she was actually quite an attractive young woman.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Master Sebrian needs to see you. Something has happened."

"I'll be right down."

He-Man dressed into his armor, grabbed his Sword of Power, and left his room. Mara was still waiting for him when he emerged. He followed her down the corridor, then down a set of stairs to the main floor of Sebrian's home.

Soon, they were in a large, domed room on the west side of the house. Sebrian was standing in front of a monitor, the four scientists on it.

"Ah, here's He-Man," Sebrian said, hand motioning to He-Man.

"What is it? What's the situation?"

"The M-M-Mothership has taken a new position in the system," said Krex.

"It also looks like a few Terror Pods are moving with it," Gepple added.

"We can't determine what they're doing yet," Alcon stated. "The ships have stopped in their position."

"Keep an eye on them, for now," Sebrian returned. The comm-line closed out. Sebrian turned to He-Man. "Good morning."

"Hi. Can you contact the Galactic Guardians? I'd like them to be up and ready if there is an attack. I'd also like the Starship Eternia prepped for launch in case we need to take this orbital."

"I'll get on it," Mara replied, walking to the other side of the room, where another computer station was located.

"Um, thank you."

"Let's have some breakfast while we wait, hm?" asked Sebrian. "Gleep? U-R?"

A pair of robots – each one up to He-Man's knee – one gold, the other green and blue – appeared by their side. Master Sebrian gave them a few quick orders and the two robots floated off to the kitchen to get to work.

He-Man was about to speak, when he heard a familiar voice in his mind.

_He-Man . . . _

It was the Sorceress, contacting him from Eternia.

"What is it?"

"What is what?" asked Master Sebrian.

"Um, one minute, Master Sebrian," He-Man said, realizing he spoke aloud.

_Terrible danger is coming. You must retrieve the power of Grayskull from Skeletor. My powers are quite thin and only with the power of Grayskull restored to your Sword of Power can you find victory over the forces of evil._

"Understood," he then said, the telepathic link fading off.

"What was all that?" asked Mara, stepping over.

"I . . . an ally back on Eternia was contacting me telepathically," he confessed. What would he tell them next? His secret identity? He didn't know them, not really. Not any of them. And to reveal that . . . it would take much more than a few days to get it out of him.

"A message of good tidings, I hope," Master Sebrian wondered.

"The opposite, actually," He-Man responded. "She was warning me of - "

At that moment, the comm-line opened back up and the scientists reappeared on the monitor.

"We've got a new problem!" yelped Gepple.

"An energy signature. Some sort of teleportation beam sliced right through the shield and has made impact," Alcon explained.

"Where at?"

"The battle site from yesterday."

He-Man pulled out his Sword of Power and his shield. "I'll be there in three minutes," he declared, turning towards the door.

"Shouldn't you wait for the others!" yelped Mara.

"No time."

He-Man ran out the door, ready for battle. Ready for war.

* * *

Skeletor hated Primus immediately. It was the way the suns were shining, the smell of the air, the brightness and bold colors . . . he hated it all. It reminded him far too much of the Light Hemisphere. He felt a certain bond with Flogg, now, seeing this place. This world that was so bright and oh, so lovely. This world that seemed to mock those that were ugly or freakish – the Mutants of Denebria.

"Someone is coming," Optikk said, his large, domed eye turning to the northeast.

He-Man appeared, moving at remarkable speeds, slowing down only as he can within feet of Skeletor and the Mutants.

"You seem to be lost," He-Man quipped to the group.

"This world shall be ours," Flogg replied. "It is you who are lost, off-lander."

"He can't handle us all," whispered Staghorn to Butthead. "Let's just finish him off, here and now."

Skeletor stepped forward, Havoc Staff on his back, the Sword of Darkness in his hand. "Gentlemen, please," Skeletor said to them, "He-Man is mine."

"Surrender now, Skeletor. Give me the power of Grayskull and head back to Eternia."

"And just leave you here? What kind of ally would I be if I did that?"

He-Man grimed. "You stopped being my ally when you stole turned on me back at Castle Grayskull. I'm here to stop you and see the end of this war."

"We share one goal then, my old enemy. We're here to stop each other. Once and for all."

Skeletor rushed forward, as did He-Man. However, Skeletor stopped after only a few feet. He pulled out the capsule – the container of Grayskull's power. At his command, it began to blow brightly. He-Man felt an intense force being pushed against him.

The very power that he drew his strength upon was resisting him, pushing him against an invisible beam.

"No . . ." He-Man muttered, throwing all of his strength into moving forward. He staggered and strained against the power Skeletor was unleashing. "NO!"

The Sword of Power glowed brightly, the power of Grayskull slamming together as both Skeletor and He-Man shoved against the other.

"YOUR DAY HAS ENDED, HE-MAN!" Skeletor roared, now pulling out the Sword of Darkness, its power adding to that of the capsule.

There was ferocious roar of power. He-Man shoved all he had against this coming onslaught, but all of his force backfired. He blasted into the air, arching back, and out of Skeletor's vision.

"That finishes He-Man, then," Flogg said thoughtfully.

"HA!" Skeletor laughed. "I'll be lucky if it gives him a bruise."

Flogg shrugged. "Whatever. Mutants! Prepare to -- !"

Before Flogg could finish, a series of small explosions roared before the group. The Mutants were thrown off-balance, then, as the Galactic Guardians arrived.

"Prepare to what?" asked Flipshot, smiling as his prepared his wing-weapons. "Prepare to get your asses kicked?"

Optikk let loose a beam of energy as the Guardians. Immediately, both teams rushed the other, the battle breaking open upon the planet Primus.

Quakke grabbed hold of his weapon – a huge boulder at the end of a thick rod. He slammed it on the ground, creating a small tremor. The ground beneath the Galactic Guardians shook and cracked. Smiling, Quakke went to do so again.

Sagitar rushed forward, his bottom two hands and his legs thundering his massive body forward. He spun in motion, his legs slamming into the chest of Quakke. Quakke stumbled back, but balanced quickly and swung his club (the Grabatron Meteormace) at Sagitar. Sagitar pulled his body back onto his legs and missed it. The Grabatron Meteormace swung at Sagitar again, but this time, Sagitar grabbed it. His body leapt forward, bottom arms and legs slamming into Quakke.

Not far away, Butthead went running at Spinwit. Spinwit prepared himself, air-manipulating powers ready. He leapt out of the way as Butthead came crashing at him. He then turned, just as Butthead realized the mistake. As he did, Spinwit kicked up the winds and sent Butthead spinning into a mini-cyclone, and landing him headfirst onto the ground.

As lasers blasted from Artilla, Optikk's large eye gave him the advantage of being able to dodge the weapons fire as soon as they were unleashed. Optikk then leapt forward fast and let loose a massive laser bolt from his eye, striking Artilla hard.

Staghorn slammed his harness against Tuskador, cracking portions of his armor as he did. Tuskador angled his tusks into the harness and pulled back, tearing the harness off it's mooring, as well as loosening up the helmet. As Staghorn made the effort to recover, Tuskador's nose tore off the helmet and he punched the purple-faced Mutant right out.

Lizorr went running by at that moment, nose and tongue at work, tasting the air. He then jumped up and landed right onto the invisible Vizar. Vizar appeared instantly, his visor busted by the impact. He spun and slammed Lizorr onto the ground. Lizorr, though, was not so easily defeated. He reached for a weapon. But Vizar sent his trust Stealth Hook right over. It snatched Lizorr's weapon right from his hand. Vizar then swept in and punched Lizorr in the chest.

* * *

Master Sebrian, who had been monitoring the battle, took it upon himself to find He-Man as soon as the hero of Eternia had been blasted away. It didn't take long to track the impact. As Mara contacted the Primus Army for assistance, Sebrian fled the house and went to where He-Man had fallen.

It wasn't He-Man that he found.

The man on the ground, unconscious but still alive, was a thin young man. Nothing like the massive figure that He-Man had been. And while, yes, they shared some very vague similarities, the two looked nothing alike.

And yet . . . He-Man's blade was sitting right next to this man's arm.

"Who are you?" asked Sebrian, crouching down next to the young man.

The man's eyes opened and he sat bolt upright. "Skeletor!" he gasped, then looked over at Sebrian, then down at the Sword of Power.

"I . . . I'm He-Man," the man said.

"You . . . transform into He-Man?"

"Yes. My real name is Adam. Prince Adam of Eternos." The sound of an explosion from the battle site caught both their attentions. Adam looked back over to Sebrian. "You must keep this a guarded secret, Master Sebrian. I can't explain it right now."

"I . . . I understand."

Adam stood up and grabbed the Sword of Power. "BY THE POWER OF ETERNIA!" he shouted, still getting used to using that word instead of 'Grayskull.' "I HAVE THE POWER!"

The transformation swept over Adam as usual, turning him into the muscle-bound He-Man. He fought the urge to turn to find Cringer. Something else he had to get used to . . .


	5. Destiny's Path

Chapter Five: "Destiny's Path"

* * *

"We should pull back," Flogg said to Skeletor.

As soon as he said that, both Hoove and Slushead went flying into each other, thanks to Flipshot and Nocturna.

"Not yet, no," Skeletor grunted. He looked to the capsule. "I sense He-Man is returning."

Skeletor slinked off, away from the battle. Flogg mumbled something inaudible and entered the battle. From his hand shot a harpoon that wrapped around the nearest Galactic Guardian he could find – Hydron.

"One more move and fishbowl gets it!" Flogg shouted to the Galactic Guardians.

"Me?" asked Slushead, as he too had a clear helmet on.

"No you dumbass!" fired Flogg. He ripped off Hydron's helmet and placed a laser pistol to his head. "I mean it! Weapons down, you fools! Step away from the Mutants and line-up!"

"Don't do it!" yelled Hydron to his teammates as they began to walk single file towards Flogg. The Mutants gathered around them.

"We don't have much of a choice, boss," Tuskador commented.

"On your knees, fleshy-ones!" shouted Lizorr.

They complied willingly, and went down on their knees, hands behind their heads, surrendering to their enemies.

* * *

Skeletor walked along the grassy hill, hating this planet more and more by the second. A part of him actually did want to turn back, head home to Eternia. The whole plan was a longshot, but he tried his best to maintain his faith in it.

"Come on, He-Man," Skeletor said. "Come on out. We must speak again, about the changes we have gone through. How our lives have changed."

He-Man was crouched low in a thick outcropping of bushes. He watched as Skeletor walked by and his ears listened to every word he said. It was not yet time to strike, not until he had gained some sort of surprise on him.

"I asked you twice about the loneliness of good, He-Man, and neither time did you answer. I ask you once more. Is the path of good as lonely as that of evil? Does your poor heart ache for a friend or a lover or family?"

He-Man bit his lip.

"I recall striking down Teela when Hiss and I rose the Great Towers. You seemed quite upset with that. What about Battle-Cat? Orko? She-Ra? Man-At-Arms? Dear friends, one and all, but just how much time did you spent with them? Ah, He-Man, we could be related, for we both know the sting of our sacrifices, our paths of absolutes. Your path of good, mine of evil."

He-Man had heard enough. He leapt out, Sword of Power drawn. Skeletor spun towards him, unleashing a lightning strike of energy. He-Man deflected it, sending it to their left.

"We chose our paths, Skeletor," He-Man declared, slamming his Sword of Power against Skeletor's Sword of Darkness. "Let us walk them and stop complaining about it."

Skeletor cackled into the morning air, their swords striking each other again.

_Here we are, once again,_ He-Man thought to himself. _Fighting the same war, fighting the same battle. It's always Skeletor . . . it always comes back to Skeletor . . ._

* * *

"We're missing one," Hoove noted as he shackled the last of the Galactic Guardians.

Flogg perked an eyebrow. "What? Who?"

"The invisible one," said Lizorr, sniffing the air. A breeze was coming in from the west, away from the Galactic Guardians.

"Find him, then!" yelled out Flogg.

As soon as that was said, Hoove went sailing into the air. The shackles on Spinwit's arms then clanged open. Just as the Mutants went into action, Spinwit sent a massive burst of air that sent the group flying back about ten feet.

Vizar and Spinwit moved quickly, releasing the others, the Galactic Guardians coming free. They once more charged the Mutants, the battle begun anew.

* * *

Their swords clanged together and with each impact, bursts of power fired forth like small explosions. Streaks of lightning charged outward, the power of good and evil conflicting in such a titanic manner. Such ancient weapons, these blades, but so powerful and in truth, intended for their bearers.

Destiny had brought He-Man here, across these past few years. The path his life took changed the moment he found his long-lost sister. It was only two weeks later that the Snake-Men were released, which was followed by the restoration of the Great Towers. That, in turn, had led to the Horde/Snake-Men War.

He-Man blocked a swipe from Skeletor and leapt back, putting some space between the two of them. Once more, Skeletor blasted at He-Man. His shield was up to the task of deflecting it harmlessly. Skeletor used this spare moment to rush to He-Man and jab at him with the Sword of Darkness. It struck his shield harmlessly.

The Horde/Snake-Men War allowed Skeletor to take sweep into Castle Grayskull and Eternos, nearly conquering all of Eternia. If not for She-Ra to handle Eternos and his allies to rescue He-Man himself, it all would have crumbled. And it had been Skeletor's disruption at Castle Grayskull that brought forth the Dark Cloud. Which lead to the quest with Teela and the Sword of the Ancients . . . and those kisses in the Ice Mountains . . .

Skeletor swiped at He-Man and drew blood. He-Man stood at attention and swung against the Sword of Darkness.

The Sword of the Ancients . . . the trap laid out by the Spirit of Evil. His way of destroying Procrustus and transforming the entire Light Hemisphere into a second Dark Hemisphere, corrupting them all into evil men and women. The quests with Teela, She-Ra, and SeaHawk to restore Eternia . . . the price of that success was the damage done to Eternos and the other kingdoms of Eternia.

He-Man slammed his shoulder into Skeletor's chest plate, then slammed his fist against Skeletor's skull. Skeletor reeled back, but He-Man didn't stop. He smacked the Sword of Darkness out of the way with the Sword of Power, then punched Skeletor in the gut, then across the skull.

The Spirit of Evil's legacy left a destructive mark on Eternia, pitting He-Man against Count Marzo, the Pelicons, and into the arms of his once beloved Kathryn. The events afterward, meeting He-Ro and then the mystery of Keldor . . . reaffirming in his position, in his place in life and his duty to good and justice.

Skeletor blasted He-Man with a wave of his hand, then shoved at him with an invisible force. He-Man was thrown back, his legs smashing into the ground. Skeletor then unleashed a streak of energy that shot He-Man square in the chest. He-Man fell, chest smoldering. He coughed and then stood up.

"You won't defeat me that easily," He-Man said, Sword of Power still in his hands.

The liberation of Etheria from Hordak. All that build-up, all those plans, finally coming to realization. The battle against the Horde had been long and harrowing, but worth it. Worth every damn minute of it.

"No, I suppose I won't," Skeletor then said.

He-Man had just stood up with Skeletor pulled at the capsule. With one flick of the wrist, a beam of blue light came flying out from the capsule and struck the Sword of Power. Immediately, the Sword of Power vibrated with the strike. He-Man then realized that the two were linked, the capsule containing Grayskull's power and his blade.

The release of Vipera, the alliance and betrayal of Skeletor . . . it had been a lead-up to this. Here it was. At long last, here it was.

He-Man pulled the Sword of Power back, hoping to break the connection.

"I don't think so, He-Man!" Skeletor cackled, touching the Sword of Darkness to the capsule. Energy fumed from the place where they touched. Powerful beams were released, rumbling through the morning air.

"The power of Grayskull links your Sword of Power to this capsule! It shall be mine! Your power shall be mine!" Skeletor yelled, power roaring around them.

He-Man could feel his arms growing weak, the Sword of Power looking dull. Was this truly it? Really the end?

"I will take your power, He-Man, and then overthrown Flogg! And I shall move onto Eternia with his grand fleet and this incredible power! I SHALL SHATTER THE DOORS OF CASTLE GRAYSKULL! I SHALL BURN ETERNOS TO THE GROUND AND SWEEP ACROSS THE PLANET LIKE A VAST STORM!"

He then pointed the Sword of Darkness at He-Man. He-Man, weakened already, was suddenly held in place. One hand still holding onto the Sword of Power, He-Man was floated into the air, hanging suspended two feet from the ground.

"But first . . ." Skeletor then said, almost in a whisper. "First I shall kill you. Yes. You shall die on this silly world, far from your home and from those you loved and called your friends. Your path has ended, He-Man!"

"No," He-Man protested as Skeletor brought the Sword of Darkness to his neck.

"Oh yes . . ." Skeletor retorted. "You will die here, alone."

"I . . . I am never alone . . ." He-Man said defiantly.

He-Man felt something click within him. His strength returned, if just for a moment. The Sword of Power ripped from its invisible moorings, as did his entire right arm. The blue energy connection still intact, the Sword of Power slammed against Skeletor's Sword of Darkness.

The spell was disrupted and Skeletor was thrown back from the backlash.

He-Man fell onto his feet.

Skeletor stood up.

He-Man was faster. His hand thudded against Skeletor's arm, and then snatched the capsule from his armored fingers.

"NOOOO!" roared Skeletor as He-Man lifted the capsule above his head.

"BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL!" he exclaimed, the capsule releasing white light in his hand. "BY THE POWER OF ETERNIA!" he then said. His fist crushed the capsule and He-Man then lifted the Sword of Power.

"I HAVE THE POWER!"

Massive bolts of power surrounded He-Man, the power of Grayskull now completely restored. He-Man locked eyes with Skeletor, Sword of Power raised.

"Now . . . where were we?"

Skeletor hissed and let loose a beam of energy. He-Man shrugged it off and rushed towards Skeletor. Skeletor swung the Sword of Darkness. He-Man deflected it, punched Skeletor across the skull, in the chest, in the stomach, and then turned kicked him in the stomach again.

"Destiny brought us here, Skeletor," He-Man told him as he knocked the Sword of Darkness from Skeletor's hand. "Our paths of good and evil have crossed once more."

He-Man threw Skeletor backwards.

"It's time you learned that as long as I have a breath within me, I will be there to stop you from spreading your evil."

Skeletor stood up and telekinetically called over the Sword of Darkness. It reached his hand and he pulled out his Havoc Staff.

"Then . . . this is not the end."

Skeletor vanished from sight, teleported away.

He-Man was in motion. He ran back towards the battle site. What he saw made him smile.

The Galactic Guardians had the Mutants on the run. A few Terror Pods had landed, apparently making it through the hole.

Skeletor joined the Mutants as they boarded the Terror Pods in retreat.

The Denebrian vessels were gone in a matter of minutes, taking Skeletor with them. He had been right. This was the end of their war.

But as the Galactic Guardians, Master Sebrian, Mara, Drissi, and Caz joined with He-Man, the hero of Eternia . . . and of Primus . . . understood something that had taken him since the release of the Snake-Men to fully and completely comprehend.

He was never truly alone. There was no loneliness of good as there had been for evil. As long as he stood for good, and for justice . . . he would never, ever be alone.


	6. Epilogue

Epilogue

* * *

Nordor, in orbit of Denebria . . .

"Give me one good reason not to fire you out of the airlock," Flogg grumped. "Our attack failed. You claim to have lost the power that had helped you get us down there. And He-Man is still around, leading those meddling fools."

Skeletor snarled. Had this been Snake Mountain, he would have blasted Flogg into a wall. But he was playing by new rules now. He still had He-Man to deal with him. And despite his losing the power of Grayskull, he still had the chance to overthrown Flogg after Primus fell.

"You need me," he said at last.

"How so?"

"I know He-Man more than anyone else, Flogg. Let me stand beside you, and you shall know victory not only over He-Man, but Primus! You'll be king of Tri-Solar System! No, the whole galaxy! A rival of Horde Prime, even!"

Critta squeezed Skeletor's shoulder. "I like the way he thinks, boss," Critta said, smiling hotly at Skeletor. He looked her over, his time here not nearly as bad as he had initially thought.

"Fine. You shall remain here, Skeletor. But remember one thing! You serve me! You take orders FROM ME! As long as you are in this system, you will follow MY orders! Understood?"

Skeletor bowed a little, hating Flogg as much as his Orc heart could. "Understood . . . my master."

* * *

Snake Mountain, Eternia . . .

Evil-Lynn smiled as King Hiss entered into the throne room. She leaned forward a bit in her throne, the rest of the Evil Warriors suddenly a bit uneasy.

"Temper, boys," Evil-Lynn advised. "Hello, King Hiss. What brings you to my humble abode?"

Hiss smiled that vile smile. "The time of Skeletor has ended on Eternia. I assumed since he was now off-world, you and I may return to the deal we once had."

"Share Snake Mountain again?" she asked with a perk of her eyebrow.

"My forces are greater in number this time, Evil-Lynn. We share the same fortress and merely act independently of each other."

"No double-crossing," Evil-Lynn asked playfully.

"Not even a little bit."

"Hmmm." She stood up out of the throne and walked across the room. She pulled a bottle of wine and two glasses from a small cabinet. "Sounds like a plan, then."

She handed him a glass. "A toast, then?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied. "To a new alliance between old enemies."

Hiss drank to that, knowing full well that in a matter of time, he would be strong enough to take Snake Mountain for his own. But until that time and when it became viable to, he would wait. He waited hundreds of years in the Void . . . what's another few months?

* * *

Eternos, Eternia . . .

"She-Ra!"

The heroine of Etheria turned on her heel as she crossed the courtyard. Teela was running top speed over to her. She-Ra gave her a smile and stopped.

"What's up, Teela?" she asked.

"I was surprised to see you here," Teela said. "I thought you were going back to Etheria."

"I'm heading back now, actually," She-Ra replied, pointing over to Gwildor. Gwildor was engrossed in setting the calculations for Etheria. "I was just getting some research materials for my future stay here."

"Ah . . . okay," Teela responded. She-Ra could tell immediately that there was something the young Captain wasn't saying. And she knew exactly what it was. "I haven't heard from them."

"What? Oh. Um. Ah, yeah," Teela attempted to cover. "Thanks."

She gave Teela a warm smile. "I miss them too."

Teela returned the smile. "Yeah."

As Gwildor opened the portal to Etheria, She-Ra put a friendly hand on Teela's shoulder. "We'll see them again."

Teela perked her eyebrow a bit. "Yeah?"

She-Ra nodded and started to the portal. "Count on it."

With that, She-Ra was gone. Teela wouldn't see her again for five years.

That night, the Captain of the Royal Guard looked up at the stars from the courtyard. Beside her, Cringer slumbered quietly, purring as he dreamt of happy memories.

"You two be careful up there," she whispered. "And I'll see you when you get back."

* * *

The Starship Eternia, Primus orbit . . .

Flipshot and Hydron worked at the computers as He-Man looked out the front windows. Below them sat Primus, a rather beautiful world that He-Man was now starting to get used to. _It's almost home,_ he thought as he gazed upon it.

His eyes moved up, and he looked upon the mass of stars that hung in the black void of space. Clear across time/space was his family and friends. But until he returned to them, he had to make new friends . . . something he was already doing.

"I miss you," he whispered. "But I'll be back."

With that, He-Man turned and walked over to the navigational computers. Along with Flipshot and Hydron was Mara and Caz. Caz had begged He-Man for the past three days to be allowed on board. He-Man had finally relented.

"Where to now, He-Man?" asked Caz.

"Huh?" asked He-Man, looking down upon his new friend.

"Where do you want to go now?"

He-Man thought for a moment and looked towards the horizon. He then smiled, eyes locked onto the suns as they became to climb above Primus. He pressed the navigational controls that had been showed to him and made up his mind.

"Caz, my friend . . ."

"Yeah?"

"Let's go chase the suns."

THE END . . . FOR NOW!

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

And thus ends "The Books of Destiny" series. For those of you that hung with me from "The Crossroads of Destiny," and through "Prophecy & Change," "Just Another Day," and "Liberty and Valor" and then watched while I bookended this with "Manifest Destiny," I thank you deeply. For all those that are just now joining us, then I hope you take the time and check out the rest of my stories if you enjoyed this one.

This is but one phase in my massive, overall He-Man saga. Want to know where to go next? Chronologically, "Roots" by Brimstone and myself is next up. There are a few continuity glitches, but nothing that can't be smoothed over. It's already available here at some new stories coming down the line this summer, concentrating on He-Man's new life and new adventures in the Tri-Solar System! What then? Well, I'll be revamping my first fanfic "The Final Adventure" into a much longer, totally up-to-date epic.

Want to know what happens to Teela, She-Ra, Hordak and the gang? Then I recommend the massive co-op "The Final Adventure: The Shroud of the Horde," also available here on as to how Keldor became Skeletor? Or how Marlena and Randor fell in love? Want to know the origin of Teela? Wondering about the Horde War on Eternia? Head on over to my "Preludes and Beginnings" series, now completed on as well!

Plus, discover the origin of He-Man and the Heroic Warriors in my on going "He-Man: Year One" stories that will continue throughout the rest of this year.

As always, this fanfic was a labor of love. I had a blast writing it. Special thanks goes out to Classic Cowboy and Fusion Blaster, who helped me with some big decisions with the story, as well as aiding me when the ol' Writer's Block came slamming down!

See you next time! Remember . . . the saga isn't over yet! Take care! Thanks!

thew40

W


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